[waldoh74]

Currently looking to make a new setup for myself here soon and looking to get myself some new headphones shortly after and looking for something new to listen to.

I will most likely be buying Littledot MKIII for my amp and a Littledot DAC I.

I currently have some Grado 325i that I absolutely love and listen to via ASUS Xonar STX with FLAC for my music.

I mostly listen to heavy metal (Iced Earth, Megadeth, Blind Guardian, etc).

I've been looking a lot at other peoples threads and have landed upon these as my top contenders. Any inputs or suggestions? I've also considered picking up some RS1i's and getting a Schiit Bifrost/Valhalla combo. I really like the idea of a tube amp, and it will be my first one. I understand that the Grados don't need much in terms of amping, so that's why I was looking at the LD stuff originally and have read that they will easily drive the HE500 if I choose to go that route. But I'm not sure about the Audeze, plus I will need to save a little longer for those.

 

[yaboroo]

I havent tried GS1000 or HE500, but the LCD-2 is on my head as i type this.
I have owned it since may, and when people say it creeps under your skin, they are not kidding. I like it more and more the more I use it!
 
I think the LCD-2 is absolutely glorious, but there are some things you should be aware of before you buy it!

• It is not for you if you like clear, sparkly highs. LCD-2 is very smooth, and the highs are not at all sparkly. Some people don't understand the audeze-craze because of this.
• It is not for bassheads. The bass is well controlled, goes super low, and can be an absolute treat. But if you are a basshead you might find it a little boring, as it does not have a lot of slam. (It does not strictly lack bass, it's just not a punchy headphone.)
• It is heavy. Though not directly uncomfortable, the LCD-2 is pretty heavy and has made me want a lighter pair of headphones for my next purchase. I can use them all day without problems, but I do think about it sometimes. I used HE-400 before I got the LCD-2, and the comfort/weight of the two headphones is very similar, so this might be true for HE-500 aswell; I don't know.

 
With all that said, I still think LCD-2 is great. It is smooth and warm so you can use it all day without fatigue. I don't regret buying it.

 

[waldoh74]

Hmmm, I do like highs.  But I have read a lot of good things about them in general.  I do want to get them eventually but realistically I may have to wait on them, simply due to price and space constraints.  Plus I think I need get a strong amp for those maybe?  
 
I'm almost leaning more towards the HE500, mostly because I already own a pair of Grados and I am certainly looking for something difference but still aggressive.
 
I still have time to think it over yet.  I'm in no rush.  I'm not a bass head by any means, but I do enjoy some heavy bassy songs on occassion.  For those days I do have my AT A900's.

 

[yaboroo]

Don't misunderstand, the LCD-2 bass is not boring. That was a bad way to put it.
The bass is really really really good; it's just not a basshead headphone with tons of slammy, punchy mid-bass.
 
While they are not sparkly or super clear, the highs are very comfortable and smooth. If you're into metal, that might not be such a bad thing; don't know.
 
Right now I think they are even more uncomfortable than in my last post, though. I'm yearning for some much lighter cans.

 

[waldoh74]

So after doing about 5 more hours of research online, I think I'm going to go for the HE-500.  Something different from what I have now and I am reading numerous reviews that are nothing but positive.  Since I will need to be getting a new DAC/AMP setup I will have to hold off on the LCD2 for now.  The next question is; what to get for my DAC/AMP to drive these things since I am reading that they do need a decent amount of juice to run properly.  I'm reading that LD MKIII should do the trick, but still not convinced on that end just yet.